Valley Bounty: Zucchini

I’ll admit to occasionally letting the zucchini in my farm share languish in the refrigerator, tucked in a crisper drawer or a paper bag, forgotten until it has withered to well past its prime. The tomatoes, carrots, and leafy greens never seem to want for occasions to be eaten, but I’ve struggled to approach zucchini with the same consistent enthusiasm. That’s not, of course, the zucchini’s fault; my lack of creativity shouldn’t condemn the humble zucchini to being hidden among stronger-tasting foods or, much worse, tossed in the compost bin. So I reached out to my culinary community to see what guidance they could offer me.

I ended up hearing a lot about zucchini butter (which is “butter” in the way that peanut butter is butter), and having tried it I have a hard time imagining zucchini going to waste in my kitchen again. Grate zucchini into rice-sized slivers and drain in a colander. In a skillet, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil, then add the zucchini and cook until everything has broken down to a spreadable consistency. Try it on toast, chips, grilled chicken, in on omelet, or just about anywhere else you can think of.

Valley Bounty is written by Brian Snell of CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture)